


Into the Rift

by aprilraven, quidamling



Series: Rift 'Verse [1]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Post- Revenge of the Fallen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-01-09
Updated: 2015-02-19
Packaged: 2017-10-29 07:04:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/317053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aprilraven/pseuds/aprilraven, https://archiveofourown.org/users/quidamling/pseuds/quidamling
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Date Night for Sarah Lennox goes very, very wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part of the Rift series - an alien hell AU of (mostly) one-shots that have been living in my head or on my desktop. Set post-Revenge of the Fallen. See 'Screw Love, Bang the One You're With' for the bunny that started it all.

Sarah was excited. She was set for tonight. She had a new dress, her hair was trimmed, nails freshly manicured. She had even splurged for real silk nylons, and the new lingerie, hardly more than scraps of black lace held together by ribbons and wishful thinking, was enough to make Will's eyebrows climb when he caught sight of the set laying out on the bed, then growl low in his throat.

Good, Sarah thought, a satisfied smile curving her lips. She played Earth Mother all the time. Nice to know she could pull off Sex Goddess once in a while.

Will's turn to reach into the 'magic box', as they fondly referred to it, pulling out a date night coupon directing them to a place, an activity, something out of their ordinary evening routine, with the emphasis strongly on romance.

Sarah watched Will pull out the coupon and read it. His eyebrows shot up, not in a good way this time, and he darted a quick glance at her, then down at the slip of paper in his hands again.

 _Uh-oh._

"What? What is it, Will?"

He held the coupon out for her to read.

 _A weekend camping trip. Survival gear only. Limited food allowed. Guns a must._

There was the occasional oddball idea for a mystery date that popped up now and again, but Sarah was willing to bet the clothes off her back, Will's paycheck for a year, their house and anything else they owned, that Ironhide had slipped that particular one into the box. Will read the coupon again, his brows drawn into a frown.

 _Sneaky holoform_ , she thought. Their eyes met. Will face palmed and went out to yell at the Topkick.

Sarah sat feeding Annabelle her breakfast, occasionally peeking out the window at her husband and Guardian talking. Ironhide was in alt-mode and from the way he was rocking impatiently on his shocks, was having none of Will's argument to get him to change his mind about camping.

One of the cardinal rules of the magic box, no substitutions allowed.

The Topkick practically radiated smugness as Will turned away and came back into the kitchen.

"Sorry, babe, I tried.  Swore we'd do it next weekend even, but Ironhide's sticking to those damn big guns of his. We'll leave tonight, as soon as we get home and load your gear into him."

"Fine. I'll drop Anna off at mom and dad's and grab some food for the trip." She sighed and tipped her head up for Will's usual quick kiss goodbye, more resigned than upset. The new clothes would keep. It would still be fun, time spent together, just- not quite the way she had hoped.

She caught Will's amused look just before he pulled her up and into his arms, and his head bent for a kiss that made her heart pound and her knees weaken. She moaned faintly when his lips moved across her cheek to brush against her ear. "Bring the underwear," he murmured, and that sexy, sinful bedroom voice never failed to send shivers down her spine and reduce her to a melted, quivering puddle of _want want want_.

Then he was leaving her and walking out to Ironhide. She watched, incredulous, as he turned to wave, an utterly wicked smirk on his face.

Sarah's still slightly dazed expression dropped instantly into a sweet smile through gritted teeth as she waved back. _Oh, I'll bring it, alright, Will Lennox. Two can play that game, and paybacks are hell_.

She watched them drive away and went back into the kitchen, lifting a babbling Annabelle out of her highchair and reaching for the notepad to make up her grocery list. She stared at the message printed neatly at the top.

 _Don't forget your gun. --Ironhide_

Damn sneaky holoform.

~*~*~*~*~

  
 **  
_[One of these days](http://wranglesaranger.livejournal.com/991.html) the sky's gonna break and everything will escape and I'll know  
One of these days the mountains are gonna fall into the sea and they'll know  
That you and I were made for this  
I was made to taste your kiss  
We were made to never fall away... _   
**

  
Mission accomplished.

Annabelle was with her grandparents for the weekend, a bag of snacks was sitting in the back of the Cherokee, along with some water, her own gear and her gun. With plenty of ammunition.

She glanced at her watch and pressed down on the accelerator. If she hurried, she could catch Will before he finished work and surprise him.

Driving along the main road that led toward the Base, Sarah sang along with the radio, earlier resignation giving way to anticipation. A whole weekend to themselves was a rarity, even if they were roughing it. Even if it did include their huge guardian. She grinned quietly. Ironhide always managed to make things interesting.

  
 **  
_One of these days letters are gonna fall from the sky telling us all to go free  
But until that day I'll find a way to let everybody know that you're coming back, you're coming back for me... _   
**

  
She only briefly noticed the hazy look of the road ahead of her. She was too busy swerving away from the jackrabbit that decided it had a death wish. Just as she straightened out again, the entire jeep suddenly shuddered, jumped as though they'd been kicked, and accelerated. She pressed the brake pedal and-

Nothing happened.

"Damn!" Sarah stomped on the pedal again, just as the jeep gave another leap forward. Her gaze darted to the rearview mirror. That was a hit, it had to be. But there was no one around.

By now the truck had hit better than 90 mph, and Sarah was more concerned about staying on the road. She scrabbled in her purse, clawing for her cell phone and punching the number for Will. She had to get a hold of him, Ironhide, someone.

She gave up stomping the brakes, they were useless. The engine sounded odd, a strange humming vibration was building up around her. The thin haze across the road was now a thick, dense fogbank. It swirled and eddied in strange patterns as it hovered. Waiting for her.

Sarah swallowed. Her mind was playing tricks. It was just some strange dust cloud. _That you can't see through, that you're accelerating towards at 100 mph._

  
 **  
_'Cause even though you left me here, I have nothing left to fear  
Hold me here, hold me here-_   
**

  
The connection clicked through. Sarah almost screamed into the phone.

"God, Will, Will! I'm near the Base and the brakes are gone! Will! Can you hear me? Will!"

 _"This is Will Lennox. Leave a message and I'll get back-"_

The cellphone died, along with the electrical system. The engine coughed once and cut out.

Sarah gripped the steering wheel and closed her eyes as the strange fog swallowed her whole.

She flinched when the engine somehow roared back to life, the radio still playing the same song. A thick white haze blanketed the view out the windows. Nothing at all could be seen around the Cherokee, but the sickening lurch of her stomach informed her they were in freefall, and dropping like a rock.

  
 **  
_...One day soon I'll hold you like the sun holds the moon,  
We won't have to be scared, we won't have to be scared,  
You're coming back for me, You're coming back for me... _   
**

  
Static crackled through the song. An alien voice grated on her ears.

 **"WARNING. CRASH IMMINENT. EMERGENCY PROTOCOLS NOW IN EFFECT."**

Sarah's gaze leaped from the radio to the view through the windshield.

The haze vanished. She gasped, her face whitening with shock, blind panic scattering her thoughts into jagged pieces. Her whole body pushed back hard into the seat, nails digging into the steering wheel, feet bracing on the floorboards, denying even as she saw what was coming. "Oh god, oh my god!"

The song died into fuzz.

Adrenaline flooded her, blood roaring in her ears, heart pounding, wordless denial and a last desperate plea caught in her throat.

She gasped, breath drawing in sharply, her body straining away from the sight of ground rushing up to meet her, closer, and closer.

 _Ironhide. Anna. **Will!**_

 **"BRACE FOR IMPACT."**

Sarah screamed.

  



	2. Chapter 2

Consciousness crept back slowly. Too hot, was her first thought. She licked dry lips and swallowed, the faint metallic taste of blood on her tongue, wincing at the raw feeling in her throat. Her eyelids fluttered open, and she stared blankly at the starred and cracked spiderwebbing of glass that used to be the windshield.

Someone was talking, a dim and distant mumbling in the background, but she couldn't seem to focus on the words. Her mouth hurt, she could feel something trickling down at the corner. She tried to raise her hand to wipe it away, and couldn't. She was being held in place against the seat, arms, legs, head, her entire body, encased tightly in some kind of bindings. Helpless. Trapped. Sarah tried to move again, pushing harder against her bonds, the icy cold edge of fear starting to clear away some of the fog.

The wrappings around her suddenly loosened and fell away. The voice started up again, but she barely noticed, instead staring stupidly down at the collapsed pile of- strands, webs? something, in her lap and on the seat. She plucked at them, feeling a strangely familiar texture, before pushing them off her lap.

"... maintenance... have... calm....this...9625...."

She turned her head to stare out the side window, not as damaged as the front, but still enough to obscure the view. A drop of moisture on her arm made her look down, a bright red spot standing out against pale skin. Her heart jumped a little to see blood and she leaned carefully forward to tilt the rearview mirror down. Her mouth was a bloody mess. Sarah probed gingerly at her swollen lower lip, a couple of deep lacerations still oozing blood; she probably bit it when they hit the ground.

She shifted and groaned, every muscle protesting movement, before sinking back into the seat. The webbing may have saved her from the devastating impact when they hit the ground, but it couldn't spare her from her own reactions, the automatic tensing of every muscle in her body just before they hit. She'd been rear-ended before, and saw it coming, with the same reaction. The next three days were going to be agony to move.

"... 71L... module... 3542...experienced...please...."

She ignored the mumbling, not much more than an annoying background buzz to her for the moment. The radio still worked, even if nothing else did. She shifted again, slow and careful, trying not to wince at the pain of strained and overtaxed muscles, tensing just made it worse. She wasn't sure how long she was out of it, but her head was starting to throb with the heat. She needed water, some painkillers, her phone. Where'd her phone go? She had to call for help, call Will.

Her arm muscles gave out as she was trying to roll to her side and bring her knees up to sit up on the seat. She blinked back tears of pain and weakness, leaning against the seat to rest for a moment before trying again, finally able to haul herself up and over the backseat far enough to reach one of the bottled waters. She winced with the pressure against her bruised mouth and drank carefully, then let herself slide back down into the seat again. She dug around in her purse for painkillers and swallowed 3 with more water, before finally letting herself relax back into the seat. Even those small movements had her panting, bathed in sweat. Too hot. She was going to fry inside the jeep. 

It was more a controlled fall than stepping down, but Sarah made it out, clutching the water bottle, looking around for any kind of shelter, a small patch of shade. She needed to stay near the car. _Stick with the car, Sarah, don't wander away from it. Rescue teams will spot a car before they spot you._ One of Will's most important survival rules.

She hung onto the door and shaded her eyes, looking blearily around, but seeing nothing that looked promising. The only shade was underneath the jeep which fortunately sported the same jacked-up suspension as Ironhide's alt-mode; miraculously, nothing noxious was leaking from the undercarriage.

Too hot, too bright. Her head was starting to hurt and she had black spots dancing in her vision. Sarah sipped more water from the bottle before gritting her teeth and easing herself down to the ground, painfully dragging herself under the jeep to lie in the dirt. They must have impacted hours ago, the gritty soil beneath her cheek was cool. She squirmed tiredly, trying to ease her sore body on the hard ground, sharp rocks digging into the skin of her arms and legs. 

Even beneath the jeep, the brightness seemed to pierce right into her skull. She closed her eyes against it, suddenly exhausted. There was something about shock and not falling asleep prodding at her, but her mind was beginning to fog again. Her eyelids fluttered, she tried to stay awake, fight the drag on her consciousness, but she had no strength left, and Sarah finally went limp in the dirt, her mind pulled down into darkness.

+++++++++++++

Thirst woke her up several hours later, and Sarah dragged herself out from under the jeep to sit up against a tire. The bright light had dimmed and she was now sitting in the shadow of the Cherokee, a relief from the sun, but her body was protesting the hard packed ground. She looked around at the dry desert terrain, everything seemed familiar and yet, something about it nagged at her.

She swallowed past the dry click in her throat, still tasting blood, and reached for the water. She winced when the rim bumped her bruised mouth, but finished off the bottle before struggling back up into the jeep.

The water definitely helped. Her headache was nearly gone, her vision was clearer along with her thinking. Now all she needed was to find her cell phone and call Will and Ironhide. They would be here in 15 minutes.

"Ha, got you," she muttered after a few minutes of looking and feeling around under the seat. She punched in the numbers and waited impatiently, but nothing happened. She looked at the display, everything was lit, the battery indicator showed a full charge, and the signal bars-

"Damnit! I'm right on top of an Army Base, how can there be no bars?" She swore again. Something was wrong with the phone, had to be. She always had good coverage in this area.

"Okay, think Sarah, think." She hesitated before putting her hand to the car keys, still in the ignition. If the whole thing didn't blow up, it might just start, maybe it would go, and even with flat tires and crumpled rims, she was hoping it would hold together long enough to reach the Base. Just 15 short minutes away.

"Come on, baby, help me out," Sarah muttered to the jeep, and tried the engine. Nothing. Not even clicking. She tried again. "Please, please, just a little help here?"

The sound of the radio crackling to life made her jump. She stared at the dash as an alien voice issued from the speakers in the jeep. That voice, she heard it just before they crashed.

"This is AI 962571L, Emergency Maintenance Module 354. You have experienced an accident. Please remain calm."

The voice repeated the same message several times while Sarah sat stunned and incredulous, before finally gathering her wits enough to speak.

"My god... Is this- Are you... an Autobot? You mean all this time I've been driving around in an _Autobot_ and no one bothered to tell me?!"

The voice broke off with the recorded message and addressed her directly.

"Negative, I am not an Autobot. I am an artificial intelligence unit, programmed to online in the event of an emergency. I will now assess damage and initiate repair functions, and attempt contact with human emergency authorities. Remain calm. Help will arrive soon."

Sarah leaned back in the seat, rubbing her temples. Oh, this explained so much. Like Ironhide's peculiar insistence on just this type of vehicle...

..."Ironhide, I don't _need_ something this big. It's just me and Anna."

"Extra room is required, and it will be safer for you both."

"No, I don't think-"

"It's necessary, Sarah."

"Really, I-"

"Necessary."

"But-"

Will nudged her. "Just go along with it, hon. He gets stubborn like this, there's no changing his mind."

... Ironhide, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Jolt, Sideswipe, Arcee, and even Prime, hovering over it like the latest new shiny to catch their optics.

"What are they _doing_ with it?" Sarah's imagination was taking worse and worse turns the longer the Autobots spent with her new Jeep Grand Cherokee. "It looks like a huge metal orgy out there."

Will snorted a laugh. "Nothing would surprise me with these guys anymore..."

The voice didn't seem inclined to speak further, nothing but the sound of little clicks and tiny beeps could be heard throughout the vehicle. Sarah finally got out of the Cherokee, wincing at the protest of aching, strained muscles, and looked around at the desert. That nagging feeling was back, something seemed off, but what? 

Three chimes sounded, and the AI spoke again.

"Damage assessment to vehicle completed. Commencing repairs. Continuing attempts to contact local emergency personnel for human damage assessment. Remain calm. Help will arrive soon. Would you care to listen to music as you wait calmly for help to arrive?"

Without waiting for an answer, the radio commenced playing what the AI seemed to consider [calming music.](http://wranglesaranger.livejournal.com/1198.html)

_Ok, who programmed this thing? And did it understand the meaning of irony?_

"Um." Sarah stared up at the twin suns and the huge gaping maw of blackness in the sky. "Look around, Dorothy, we have bigger problems. I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually found more of this (wow), and it changes the ordering a bit--original Chpt. 3 bumps to 4. Some RP with quidamling turned into fic. <3

Friday of their “survival” weekend finally came. There was a line among special forces that survival is existing - if you’re at all comfortable or having any fun, you’re camping. He was honestly a little leery of subjecting Sarah to something that rugged, but hoped that between his training, and some of Ironhide’s Cybertronian assistance, that they could shield their lady from some of the hardships. 

But he even had to get that far. 

His promotion from Captain to Major came with a downside. Lennox hated driving the desk and pushing paperwork. What made it bearable was that he believed in what they were doing. He loved what he and Prime had created in NEST, it was necessary, he worked with their alien allies to protect his family, his planet. But honestly? Couldn’t he stay out in the field and leave the paperwork to Epps and Graham? 

The stack of paperwork mocked him with its precarious height. Lennox groaned and groused at no one in particular as he let his head thunk down to his desk. “Do you guys fuckin’ know when I’m trying to get out of here?”

Somewhere in the pile there was today’s reprimand for the Chevy Twins after getting into the maintenance locker and starting what looked like a drunken paintball match. They were put on something like the Cybertronian equivalent of KP by Prime, and oh, there was a form for that, too. Then he had to requisition all of the supplies that the mechs had used up, painted or destroyed. 

“When we get back on Monday, Ironhide and I are taking them out for the hardest training we can manage.... I swear,” he grumbled, starting to hack at the papers with codes and signatures.

~*~*~*~*~

Two hours later, and half an hour after he really wanted to leave and head back home, Will finally saw the wood of his desk again. He scrubbed over his face and tapped into his radio to Ironhide. “Anything else on our list we gotta bring back for Sarah?” 

His Guardian had rumbled a negative. The crates they packed earlier in the day were stocked and stowed in the mech’s subspace storage.... aka ‘magic makey vanish and reappear when needed doohickey.’ 

“Alright, ‘Hide. Meet you at the lot and we can get the hell outta Dodge.”

Last checks, Will looked over his radio, sidearm, grabbed his cover and cell and locked down his office. As he walked through the corridors towards the tarmac he glanced at his call log. A missed call from his wife. 

Will frowned, she hadn’t left a voicemail. Chalking it up as something she must have deemed not terribly important, he called her back. Neither the land line nor her cell picked up, so he left brief messages on both saying he’d missed her and would be home soon.

Trotting out into the sun, he quickly found his TopKick Guardian and climbed into the cab when the door opened for him. “Sorry, mech. The Twins quadrupled my paperwork for the day. Frickin’ idiots.”

The great black pickup rumbled softly in commiseration, enjoying the feel of Will tracing over the steering wheel. “They are under Prime’s jurisdiction for the next 50 hours, Lennox. If they are not suitably repentant on Monday, we will deal with them then.”

Lennox nodded, settling into the Cybertronian’s simulated leather for the rest of the ride back home.

~*~*~*~*~

The ride was uneventful. With Ironhide in charge, Will had been able to get pretty damn complacent while driving. He chatted idly with his partner and only turned his attention back beyond the cab when they reached the driveway. 

The mech must have pinged the garage door, and the Ranger watched it open before frowning slightly when it did not reveal Sarah’s Grand Cherokee.

Maybe Sarah had gone out for groceries? Supplies? Something...

He listened to the ring of her cell phone again, three, four rings before switching to voicemail.

“C’mon, honey, where are you?” he muttered. “Ironhide, anything?”

“She is not in range of my sensors, Will.”

“What do you think our lady is up to?” he asked, his unanswered calls and sudden absence seemed a bit worrying. 

“Unknown, but this is atypical of her behavior patterns.” 

“Agreed.” Lennox tensed and sat up straighter, palm on the door handle indicating to Ironhide to stop and let him out.

Boots hit pavement and Will was already bolting for the door. He bounced off it in a manner that at another other moment would probably have been hilarious and Ironhide would replay for his snickering spouse. Now, it just slowed him down. He swept the house with a hand instinctively on his side arm, looking for a note, clues, anything.

Sarah was supposed to have been waiting for them. Locked doors, missing vehicle, electronics were all off, the place was tidied and the small bag she had been piling supplies near all week was gone... it seemed that she left intentionally and not under any sort of duress. 

Then where the fuck was she? Lennox pulled out his cell and redialed hers. It rang. And rang. And rang. Then back to voicemail. 

“Dammit, baby, pick up. Please, you’re killing me...” he grumbled, trying to call again. And again for good measure as he walked back toward the door to meet their Guardian. He tried the in-laws and had a delightful conversation where they gushed at how cute he was for wanting to say goodbye to Annie one last time before their weekend away. Will fumbled through an agreement and cooed to his baby over the phone. They had last seen Sarah about 4 hours ago when she dropped the toddler off, and Lennox disengaged from the call with a distracted grunt about his lady being on final preparation duty.

He swallowed and stormed out the door, slamming it hard instead of letting the worm of worry utterly eat his gut. Looking at the mass of black armor, Will scrubbed a nervous hand through his hair. “Ironhide... she didn’t call you? Change the plan for leaving town?” Brown eyes were far too hopeful. “Or there a mythical Vulcan Mind-meld you have to her car?”

"I can detect no undue stress in her residual bio traces." Ironhide reached with his field, radiating comfort and calm to Will; the sharp odors of anxiety and adrenaline surrounded the Ranger like a thick cloud. “Checking tracking signals now.” 

No responsive ping from her cellphone, and the engine let out a small worried growl. She always kept it on, always. 

The Topkick sent out a location request for the Cherokee to NEST networks, only to be met with a downgraded priority status. The engine snarled. Disregarding protocols and treaties and countless directives for playing nice with the human technology, the Guardian issued a dozen override commands and ruthlessly shoved his query to the forefront of the queue. Prime could hand his aft to him later. Right now, one of his charges was missing, and he'd be damned to the Pit if she stayed that way for long.

Pacing kept the Ranger from counting the seconds for the signal trace to run through. He realized with a mild snort that he was far too spoiled by the speed of Cybertronian tech, sometimes. 

There had to be something simple to explain this, a perfectly normal, mundane reason. Maybe Sarah wanted some contraband? But Ironhide would sense that immediately. Maybe she was stuck in traffic? But then she would be next to her cell phone, that she could easily charge even with a dead battery. Maybe... Shit. 

Unfortunately, Will had absolutely nothing coming to mind to explain what, at the moment at least, was only a wayward spouse.

Minutes ticked by before Ironhide received the answer he feared most. There was no trace of the Cherokee within the Northern Hemisphere. Nothing short of a Cybertronian hacking and disabling the device Ironhide himself had placed within the Jeep could account for the loss of signal.

The weapons specialist lunged up out of his alt-mode at a furious pace, cannons already online and seething with power. Scans began sweeping the property at large, searching for any trace of incursion.

"She's been taken, Will. I can only presume by a Decepticon."

Lennox took a half step back as Ironhide pounced to his feet. “Taken?” He glanced around, heart pounding in his ears. “No, c’mon ‘Hide... she... what about.... the car breaking down on the way home from her parents? She... she could still be waiting on a tow with a dead phone...” 

Fuck. He screwed his eyes shut. Occam’s razor, was there a breakdown of multiple layers of Sarah’s safety, or had she been taken by Decepticons? “Nothing’s out of place in the house. It wasn’t here. So, between the in-laws and here, right? Or somewhere in town.” 

The Major thumbed at his sidearm and took a deep breath, glancing around the yard for anything out of place. The first 24 hours, that’s the rule in normal kidnapping... with the deranged Cybertronian faction involved, he should have initiated emergency protocols with NEST last Thursday. “Ironhide...” he muttered, shouldering against plating, “we got this...” If anyone could track her down, it would be them. Right?

About to growl out an affirmative, Ironhide’s helm tilted into a familiar ‘listening’ pose at the sudden ping of an incoming message from Prime. Frag, that was fast. He should have expected the military would be all over his interference and howling outrage immediately. He spat out a few Cybertronian curses before sending a databurst of information on the situation back to Prime and requesting immediate mobilization of NEST. He huffed during the weighty pause, and finally received an acknowledgement, along with a warning to keep his communications to NEST channels and begin encrypting all signals immediately.

Ironhide pinged an affirmative and looked down to Will. “We do. Prime is on this too, he's already alerted NEST. By the time we get back to Base, the first search parties will be out looking for Sarah. We will find her, Will, I promise.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found a bit more of this and chpt. ordering changed, see note on Chpt 3.

"Okay, first things first, Dorothy. How long until we can start moving?"

"Approximately 18 hours to complete repairs."

Eighteen hours. Nearly a whole day until they could backtrack and try to find the way they came into this place, and then try and make it out. How they would, Sarah had no idea. Whatever that fog was they entered, after that it felt like they were in freefall. Only the fact that the Autobots had managed to replace nearly every piece of metal, chrome and plastic in Dorothy with their own Cybertronian alloys had kept the vehicle, and Sarah, from being crushed in the impact. She examined the remains of the webbing that had snapped around her just before they hit. Flexible, but incredibly tough, similar to the material the Autobots used to imitate the leather seats in their alt-modes.

Between the double suns and the desert terrain, the heat was stifling. Sarah climbed back into the Cherokee and leaned over the back of her seat, rummaging through the groceries until she found another bottled water. She had drained half of it before she stopped, frowning and recapping it. She turned and began sorting through the groceries and her own gear. Ironhide and Will were supposed to bring everything else, the tent, survival packs, MREs. She had 2 days worth of water, snacks, clothes, a few hygiene essentials, and that was it.

Oh, and the lingerie.

_Yes Will, I brought the damned underwear, not that it will do me any good now._

She stretched out full length on the seat with a tired groan, finally giving in to the pain of strained muscles begging her not to move for a while.

She could feel the little bubble of hysteria rising up, in the next moment she would either be laughing or crying, she just wasn't sure which. Sarah turned to look at the radio, desperate for any kind of distraction, even Dorothy.

"So are you a typical AI?"

She really wanted to ask if they all started out at such a simple level, _dumber than a donut,_ but for all she knew, that might hurt Dorothy's feelings and she would refuse to talk. As frustrating as the AI could be, Sarah needed that voice right now, the feeling of another's presence, however lacking in personality, to keep her sane.

"Negative. I was created specifically for use in this vehicle."

Huh. Her own personal AI. That was interesting.

"Dorothy, whose idea was that?" She was betting on Ironhide. Their Guardian was nothing if not obsessed with their safety.

Instead of responding directly, the AI played a sound clip. Sarah's heart leaped at the voice. _Will._ Followed by Ironhide.

Quiet murmurs, the clink of a bottle against armor, crickets chirping. It was evening then, Will out back having a beer, relaxing with their Guardian. She rubbed the tears from her eyes, the ache of longing so sharp it was a physical pain in her chest.

"If they need to get away in a hurry, I want Sarah and Anna as safe as possible whenever and wherever they go."

She heard Ironhide's deep rumble of agreement, then Will's voice again.

"It's harder when I'm away. I worry about them, wondering if there'll be a crisis, an attack, if something awful happens and you and I aren't there, can't get there in time-"

"When you and I can't be there to protect them. I'm already on it, Will."

There was a slight pause, and Sarah imagined Will taking a drink or arching a brow up in query. The small clink of the bottle again.

"Sooo." Will sounded more relaxed, almost smiling. "Sounds like you have a plan, big guy."

She could almost hear the same from Ironhide. It was amazing sometimes, how they mirrored each other. There were times she swore they didn't have to exchange a word to know what the other was thinking or feeling.

"Several, Will, but first things first. It's time Sarah had a new vehicle."

Sarah blinked through misty vision, folding her arms over her chest as though she could hug those voices. Will, Ironhide... her boys. They had to be looking for her by now, and since they couldn't come to her, she needed to keep searching for a way to get back to them.

***~*~*~*~***

Three days later, and Sarah's hopes were fading.

She kept the road as a central point and searched for miles on either side, looking for that strange fogbank that brought her to this place. She backtracked well beyond, until they crossed some sort of boundary and into a region that was like nothing she'd ever seen on Earth. Bizarre, alien and utterly terrifying. And that was the moment the Jeep ground to a halt and refused to go further, and Dorothy calmly informed her that they were too low on fuel to proceed. Sarah slumped over the steering wheel on folded arms, and closed her eyes.

She still had food, but what was the point if she had no water. _Don't eat if you have don't have water._ Another of Will's casually dropped bits of survival information. She rubbed at her temples. Her headache was steady now, and getting worse. Painkillers didn't help with dehydration headaches. She had rationed her water, skimped as much as she dared to stretch the supply as far as it could go. Now she had half a bottle left.

Sarah sighed and rubbed at her eyes, whispering into the quiet cab. "God, Will, I'm in trouble. I'm sorry, baby. I don't think I'm going to make it home to you."

The AI's chime sounded. "I have many definitions for 'trouble.' Please define the particular 'trouble' you are experiencing."

Sarah rubbed her forehead. "Trouble as in, I won't live long enough to figure out how to get home? That kind of trouble."

There was no immediate response, but Sarah had the strong impression the AI was thinking, processing, whatever it did, about her answer.

The chime finally pinged again. "Do you require access to emergency survival supplies?

Sarah looked at the radio. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Emergency survival supplies are stored in this vehicle's subspace compartment. Do you require access to them?"

Sarah stared at the radio. "You mean- all this time... Of course I require them! Why the hell didn't you tell me you had them?"

"You did not ask," came the serene response. Sarah thumped her fist on the dashboard. The AI didn't react at all but it made her feel better.

"You'd better start learning to tell me things or I'll be dead in a week. Now show me what's in storage."

She watched the readout of all the emergency items her Guardian had stored in Dorothy's subspace.

_Ironhide, I love you._

She drummed fingers on the steering wheel, thinking. The AI seemed to be getting smarter, intuiting more from random statements as she talked to it. Maybe that growth included other things.

"Dorothy, will you be able to transform? Say, into a plane and get us out the way we came in?"

The answer was immediate. "Negative. Only limited modifications to this vehicle's design are possible."

Sarah closed her eyes, slumping into the seat. There went that hope. She opened them again and turned her head to see that alien landscape spreading out before them. The sickly green and mottled purple coloring of the vegetation was repellant and faintly nauseating to look at. They couldn't stay here. Every instinct was telling her to get the hell out while they could, and back into the desert region. That at least, looked familiar. But there was still the problem of fuel.

She sat forward suddenly. "Show me that readout again."

MREs, camping gear including air mattresses and a pump, survivalist gear, water, assorted packaged food and sundries, guns, clothes--lightweight and cold weather, lanterns, flashlights, matches, everything she could possibly need except-

"Dorothy, why isn't there any fuel?"

"Earth fuels were deemed not necessary. If self-repair exceeds 2 days or fuel is nearing critical shortage level, vehicle is to be modified to obtain a secondary fuel source."

Sarah's growl was frustrated. "Damnit, there are no Autobots here to modify you, so what the hell do I do now?"

"No action is required from you. Vehicle is being modified as we speak."

Her fist hit the steering wheel with a thud. She was going to _kill_ whoever programmed this thing. 

"Dorothy. Please. For the love of god. _Tell me what you're doing?"_

A series of clicks and beeps sounded. Sarah lifted her head. Dorothy's 'program' voice filled the cab.

**NOW IMPLEMENTING PROTOCOL 48267.**

That bit of news was followed by Ironhide's distinctive rumble.

_**"Tell the femme whatever she wants to know before she hits you with a brick."** _

Sarah leaned weakly against the door and laughed until she started to cry.

***~*~*~*~***

Hours later, and Sarah had her fill of water and a full meal too, courtesy of the U.S. Military. Some kind of mystery meat, probably hamster surprise, but it was hot, plenty of it, and after nothing but snacks for three days, she swore it was the best meal she'd ever eaten.

She even used some of the now limitless supply of water and the soap she brought, stripping out of her bloodied, grimy clothing to scrub and rinse off the layers of sweat and dirt from her skin.

Feeling human again, clean, a full stomach, and as much water as she could manage, Sarah stretched out on the seat to wait for morning and Dorothy's promise of traveling again. She was tired, but [too restless to sleep](http://wranglesaranger.livejournal.com/1521.html). She could live out her life on the supplies Ironhide had stored in Dorothy, but for what? She was stuck here, away from everyone she loved, with no way back. And it was night.

Nights were the worst, she decided, the time all her fears seemed determined to stalk her.

Dorothy had shut down hours ago to conserve energy, leaving her staring up into that alien sky, more alone, and lonely, than she'd ever been in her life. She wanted home, Annabelle, _Will._ She missed him so much it hurt. She wanted to tell him she loved him, how badly frightened she was and how much she needed his strength right now; she couldn't seem to find her own. She wanted to hold him tight and bury her head in his shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her and crooned love and comfort and told her everything would be alright...

Her shoulders shook. A muffled sob was followed by another, and another, and Sarah turned her head into the seat cushion and let the tears come.

Far above the Jeep, the clouds obscuring the dark gash across the face of the night sky slowly parted and drifted away, leaving it clear for the first time in days.


End file.
